After a 3-for-5 day against Kansas City on May 4, the Detroit Tigers’ shortstop had two hits on the last homestand, then went 0-for-the-road-trip, getting just two hits in his next 33 at-bats (.061 average, .149 OPS) entering Friday’s contest.

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Goodness gracious did he need a hit.

He got one in the sixth inning, ending an 0-for-22 stretch with a home run off the right field foul pole.

“I knew it was hard enough, but I just didn’t know if it was going to stay fair. I saw it hooking. Obviously I had the best angle, just watching it hook foul. I’m thinking ‘God, that ball better stay fair, because I don’t know what else I have to do to get a hit right now,’” he said. “Once they threw their arm up, I checked out. I felt like I was flying around the bases. I probably should’ve slowed down a little bit.”

It was huge in that it was his first career homer.

It was even more huge, considering what he’d been going through.

“He’d been scuffling a little bit, so hopefully it will be a way for him to bust out of it. We love his defense, and he’s there primarily for his defense, but obviously he and we both would love to have him add offensively,” manager Brad Ausmus said of the solo shot that put the Tigers up 6-2 in what would end up a 7-2 win over the Texas Rangers, breaking a four-game losing streak as a team.

“The home run was an important add-on run for us tonight, to give us a little bit more breathing room.

“I’m kind of thinking, in the back of my mind, ‘This is where it turns around for him.’”

Romine isn’t a home run threat — he hadn’t hit one in the first 266 plate appearances in his big-league career, and never had more than five in any minor-league season, totaling 23 in an even 700 games in the minors.

And he’s in Detroit for his glove, not his bat.

They’d like him not to feel lost, though, as he said he did, coming in.

“It’s a little bit everything. Obviously feeling has a lot to do with it, but getting some results under your belt, getting a good base to start with, and then you can carry it over to the next at-bat,” said Romine, on whether or not it could help turn him around. “We’ll see. It’s work, it’s hard work. Everybody goes through a rut every once in a while, but you just got to work through it, and a keep a positive mental attitude.”

He has kept that upbeat attitude, even though he’s still only hitting .176. And he hasn’t taken the struggles at the plate out to the field with him.

“Those are two different things to me. Being at the plate, once I’m not at the plate, I’m not a hitter anymore, I’m a fielder — or I’m a runner, if I put the ball in play,” he said. “To me, there’s no comparison to them. They don’t carry over to me. Going out and playing defense is what I’m here for.”

It never hurts to add a little bit to the cause, offensively, though, and his teammates congratulated him heartily — even if he doesn’t remember much.

“I don’t know. It was crazy. I don’t remember. It’s one of those things where, something exciting happens. Something great in your life, big turning point. Just kind of take it in. Everybody comes up, says congratulations, I get high fives, pat on the helmet from everybody. That was a big run for us, getting a little bit more than we had on them, because that team can come back from anything,” he said. “It was just a blur to me. I wouldn’t have even known if they were in the dugout with me, or not. It was fun.”

He’d like to get the home run ball back — he thought it might have gotten thrown into the stands — to put it up with the rest of his trophies, in the special room that he and his fiancee have.

“It’s the office, but we call it the ‘I love me’ room,” he explained. “Absolutely. That’s going right on the wall.”

About the Author

Detroit Tigers beat writer for The Oakland Press in Pontiac, Michigan. Mowery has spent 18 years covering sports, from preps to pros. He’s been honored with more than 25 awards for writing. Reach the author at matt.mowery@oakpress.com
or follow Matthew B. on Twitter: @MatthewBMowery.